1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wrap for enclosing an inflatable curtain. More specifically, the present invention relates to a novel inflatable curtain wrap and method for enclosing the curtain within the wrap.
2. The Relevant Technology
Inflatable safety restraint devices, or xe2x80x9cairbag restraints,xe2x80x9d are mandatory on most new vehicles. Airbag restraints commonly contain a collision sensor, and inflator, and a curtain airbag. In the event of an accident, the collision sensor within the vehicle, such as an accelerometer, measures abnormal deceleration and triggers the inflator. The inflator is connected to the curtain airbag which is typically housed in the steering wheel on the driver""s side of a vehicle and in the dashboard on the passenger side of a vehicle. Curtain airbags are normally housed in an uninflated and folded condition to minimize space requirements. Upon receipt of the signal from the collision sensor, the inflator rapidly produces a quantity of inflation fluid or gas which fills the curtain and protects the passenger from harmful impact with the interior of the car.
Airbags have also been developed in response to the need for passenger protection from lateral impacts with the side of a vehicle""s interior. This situation might occur when another vehicle collides with the side of the car, or when the car loses control and rolls over causing the side of the car to repeatedly impact the ground. Side impact airbags are designed to prevent the head of a vehicle occupant from emerging through the window opening or from colliding with a collision surface at the side of the vehicle. The shape of the curtain airbag generally conforms to the shape of the window area or side of the car adjacent the passenger""s torso. Side inflatable curtains are typically attached to, or housed within the roof rail of the vehicle behind the headliner.
Other airbag systems provide a package or housing in which the folded curtain airbag is enclosed before it is secured to the vehicle interior. These retention devices also suffer many disadvantages. Often they are bulky and inflexible and do not readily conform to the space requirements or attachment limitations of the vehicle""s interior components. One type of retention device that seeks to overcome these disadvantages is a fabric cylinder, commonly referred to as a xe2x80x9csock.xe2x80x9d
A disadvantage with the pull through sock retention device is that it requires costly equipment to perform all of the required packaging steps. This adds to the cost of airbag manufacturing and installation. Further, some prior art sock systems require manual labor to pull the curtain airbag through the sock which creates ergonomic health problems for the laborers which further drives up costs.
Another disadvantage of sock retention devices is that the wrap or sock includes a fixed diameter at either end of the cylindrically shaped sock and along its length. Accordingly, the sock is not adjustable and the folded airbag cannot be compressed to its smallest possible size in the folded state. Thus, in side airbag configurations where space is at a premium, prior art socks limit the ability of the airbag system to maximize space efficiencies.
Accordingly, a need exists for an curtain airbag wrap that accommodates the size, space, and timing considerations of side vehicle interior deployment. Additionally, a need exists for such a curtain wrap and method of curtain retention which would allow the curtain to efficiently deploy. Furthermore, a need exists for such a curtain airbag wrap and method which would retain the curtain airbag in a desired configuration during the wrapping process such that the final state is more robust. Still further, a need exists for a curtain airbag wrap which requires fewer steps to wrap and that would allow for further compression of the curtain airbag in its folded state. Such a curtain airbag wrap and method of wrapping is disclosed and claimed herein.
The apparatus of the present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available inflatable curtain wraps and wrapping methods. Thus, it is an overall objective of the present invention to provide a curtain wrap and method for wrapping an inflatable curtain to provide efficient deployment, better overall effectiveness, and more cost efficient production than was possible with prior art airbag systems.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives, and in accordance with the invention as embodied and broadly described herein, an airbag system is provided having an inflatable curtain with a first edge and a second edge. A curtain wrap may be substantially as long as the curtain and configured to at least partially enclose the inflatable curtain. In one embodiment, the wrap is longitudinally attached to the curtain along or near the first edge of the curtain. A first edge of the wrap may be configured to be attached near a second edge of the wrap about the curtain when the curtain is in a folded state. In this configuration, the curtain and wrap are integrated.
The first edge of the wrap preferably includes a securement portion to facilitate attachment of the first edge of the wrap adjacent a second edge of the wrap. In one presently preferred embodiment, the securement portion includes two-sided tape. A first side of the two-sided tape may be secured longitudinally near the first edge of the wrap. The second side of the two-sided tape may be configured to be secured near the second edge of the wrap. In this configuration, the diameter of the wrap is not fixed, and the folded curtain does not need to be pulled through a fixed diameter wrap. Additionally, the wrap of the present invention may be cinched tight about the folded curtain before the edges of the wrap are secured to each other about the curtain, thereby allowing the present invention to maximize space efficiencies.
The wrap includes a tear seam running longitudinally along the wrap and positioned between the securement portion of the wrap and the first edge of the wrap. The tear seam allows the curtain to burst through the wrap at the tear seam and into a vehicle interior upon inflation. In one embodiment, the curtain includes at least one attachment tab, extending from the first edge of the curtain, which allows the curtain airbag to be attached to a vehicle interior. In this configuration, the wrap may include at least one slot configured to receive the attachment tab of the curtain therethrough. This allows the attachment tab to be accessible after the curtain is in a wrapped state. It will be appreciated that the wrapping procedure of the present invention is simpler and thus more cost-effective, requiring less equipment than the prior art.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.